Safety guard screen



Sept. 26, 1950 C. P. MAJKRZAK SAFETY GUARD SCREEN 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Jan. 25, 1946 .l IIIII Il INVENTOR. CHARLE P. MAJKRZAK BY [M ATTO le NEYS Sept. 26, 195@ c. P. MAJKRZAK 2,523,383

SAFETY GUARD SCREEN Filed Jan. 25, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. CHARLES. R AJKRZAK Patented Sept. 26, 1950 SAFETY `GUARD SCREEN Charles P. Majkrzak, South Orange, N. J., as-

signor to Orange Screen Company, Maplewood, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application January 23, 1946, Serial No. 642,973

This invention relates to safety screen guards for use more particularly in asylums, hospitals and the like.

Safety guards comprising bars have a bad psychological eiect on inmates of insane asylums or the like, and in order to avoid this effect it has been proposed to replace the bars with a screen to which the patients are already accustomed. Such a screen, Which sho-uld be of suiilciently line mesh to exclude flies and other insects, must be strong enough to absorb the impacts of bending or pushing tc which the patient may resort and should be so supported in its frame as to minimize the danger of cutting the screen. Also, it is necessary to support the screen wire with resilient shock-absorbing springs A in order to cushion the screen against violent impacts and to decelerate in a relatively short distance the motion of heavy bodies thrown against the screen.

It has been suggested that coil springs can be used as shock absorbers for supporting the screen wire, but the use of such springs renders a safety screen very complex and bulky, A very large number of heavy and relatively large diameter coil springs are required to provide the necessary shock-absorbing properties. Moreover, inasmuch as such springs are formed of wire of relatively smaller diameter than the coil, it is necessary to reinforce the edge `of the screen or provide relatively complex clamping elements on the ends of the springs to prevent the springs from tearing out of the screen under impact.

An object of the present invention is to provide a simplified form of shock-absorbing spring for Safety guard screens that is readily attached to the edge of the screen wire.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved type of shock-absorbing spring for safety guard screens that is readily assembled with the frame of the screen.

A further object of the invention is to provide a safety guard screen having a relatively small number of shock-absorbing springs that are capable of absorbing heavy impacts without danger of tearing away from the screen wire.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a safety guard screen in which the screen wire may be deflected a sulcient distance to decelerate the impact of heavy bodies without coming into contact with the frame of the screen and being cut or torn thereby.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of a typical form of safety guard screen embodying the present invention.

9 claims. (c1. 16o- 378) In accordance with this invention, a typical safety guard screen may include a channel-like frame adapted to be mounted in the sash frame aperture of a building, and having a screen Wire panel resiliently mounted with its edges in the channels of the frame in such a manner as to absorb heavy impacts and to prevent removal of the screen panel. More particularly, the panel is retained by means of relatively wide springs formed of flat spring metal having semi-cylindrical or scroll-like spring portions and free ends that are clamped or otherwise secured to the screen panel. The spring members are mounted within the frame with their panel-engaging ends extending inwardly for movement in the plane of the panel or transversely with respect to the frame so that they can be deflected under impact while resiliently absorbing the impact.

Spring shock absorbers of the type describedv above can be secured firmly to the edges of the vScreen wire panel without substantial reinforcement of the edge of the panel, and because of their strength and width, relatively few of the spring shock absorbers are required.

Moreover, by providing the frame with internal grooves substantially complemental .to the semicylindrical or scroll-like portion of the spring shock absorbers, the entire safety guard screen can Ibe assembled easily and the shock absorbers anchored firmly against accidental displacement or removal from the indoor side of the screen.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical section through the screen guard frame on the line l--I of Figure 2 Figure 2 is a transverse section on the line 2-2 of Figure 1 showing the screen in normal position;

Figure 3 is a corresponding section on the same line, as indicated at 3-3, showing the screen under maximum load;

Figure 4 is a cross section through a side member of the screen frame on the line 4-'4 of Figure 1; and

Figure 5 is -a cross section through a side member of the screen frame on the line 5A?, of Fig- `ure 1.

The invention will be described with reference to a preferred embodiment illustrated in the drawings for purposes of disclosure.

The screen guard comprises a frame F, a screen panel S and spring shock-absorbing units A for supporting the panel S inthe frame.

The shock absorbers A are preferably Constructed of suitable spring material in plate or strip form of required thickness, so that they yieldingly resist the load due to the maximum impacts to which the screen may be subjected. All of the shock absorbers are preferably of the same construction and dimensions and may be secured directly to the edges ofthe screen.

Each shock absorber A consists of a straight or fiat body portion 6 terminating at one end in a reversely bent portion providing an attaching clamping flange 8 spaced from the body portion 6 to provide a channel for receiving an edge of the screen panel. The screen panel is cut to the proper dimensions, so that it will be under a suitable tension when the shock absorbers are connected to the frame.

In assembling the shock absorbers with the screen panel the flanges 8 of the shock absorbers are preferably passed under and accurately spaced along the edges of the panel with the body portion 6 resting on top of the panel, and then the flanges 8 are hammered or pressed toward the body portions of the shock absorbers to clamp the edges of the screen between the flanges and the body portions of the shock absorbers. If

. desired, the edges of the screen panel may be doubled over or otherwise reinforced to strengthen the edges of the panel although in most cases this is unnecessary. The flanges may be spot welded to the body portions of the panel S or they may be held in clamping position by any suitable means. After the shock` absorbers have been secured to the screen, they are swung through anv end with a semi-cylindrical portion or scroll i9 having a free end that is spaced from the body 5 the free end `of the scroll. The flange I2 holds i the scroll l from rotating under impacts on the face of the screen. The object and function of this construction will appear more clearly after theframe has been described.

The frame E which is generally of inwardly opening channel shape comprises a main frame member I6 which may be made from an extruded part which is cut into lengths to provide the side and top and bottom members of the frame.

VThe main frame member I6 may comprise a generally tubular rectangular body I8 adapted to be mounted and fitted in the frame of a window opening. The inner side of the body i8, that is, with respect to the completed frame, is provided with a groove 29 (Figures 4 and 5) to receive an auxiliary indoor frame member 22, which will be described in detail later.

The inner side of the body I8 with respect to the frame is provided near its outdoor edge with aiiange 2d having a portion of its outside face lying in the plane of the outdoor face of the body i8. The flange 24 is provided with a semi-cylindrical Ygroove 26 in its inner face to receive the scrolls I0 of the shock absorbers A.

The inner face of the flange 24 at the edge of the groove 2E is provided with a groove 23 forni" 4 full angular movement of the inner or screen ends of the shock absorbers A under maximum load due to impacts on the face of the screen.

The outer face of the flange 24 may be tapered inwardly as indicatedv at 34 for the sake of apload for which the shock absorbers are con-v structed. v

The indoor frame member 22 is provided with a retaining flange l0 adapted to engage in the groove 20 in the main frame member i6. The outer or indoor face of the frame member 22 may be flat and extends inwardly substantially the same distance as the flange 24.

The inner face of the frame member 22 is preferably provided with a recess d2 at its inner edge to receive the edge of the screen and the inner ends of the shock absorbers AA when the latter are under 'normal load.

Projecting from the inner face of the frame member 22 is a rib or iiange lll which extends in a direction normal to the inclined face 34 of the flange 2li of the main frame member i6 and which is provided with an end conforming to the groove 23 and the shoulder 30 on the flange 2li of the main frame member i6. The frame member 22 may be cut from a stripof extruded material having a continuous rib it that is cut away to provide the projections IBG defining the spaces #i8 to receive the body portions 6 of the shock absorbers A. The projections 6 are tapped and threaded as indicated to receive the fastening screws 38 by means of which the indoor frame member 22 is secured to the main frame member iii.

As disclosed in Figure 1, the shock absorbers A are preferably equidistantly spaced along the edges of the screen panel S so as to properly cushion the screen along its side, top and bottom edges. These shock absorbers are slightlynarrower than the openings, so that the panel will be properly positioned in the frame when the shock absorbers are connected to the main frame member. The face of the screen panel and the dimensions of the shock absorbers are so proportioned that the screen will be placed under a suitable normal tension when the panel is connected to the frame.

As disclosed in Figure 3, when the shock absorbers A and the center of the screen panel S are :under a maximum load, the screen ends lof v the shock absorbers are in alignment with the planes of the edges of the panel, so that there is no cutting action between the shock absorbers and the panel as the edges of the panel are deflected angularly. This View is taken horizontally through the middle portion of the panel S and shows the maximum movement of this portion of the panel. The amount of movement of the side edges of the panel at points above and below this plane gradually decreases toward the top and bottom of the frame, and the amount of deflection of the panel edges at the top and botm tom of the frame are proportionately less than at the middle section yof the screen depending upon the relation of the length of the screen to the width of the screen.

t is to be noted that by making the shock absorbers relatively wide it usually will be un necessary to reinforce the edges of the screen that are embraced by the clamping portions of the shock absorbers.

As shown in Figures 1 and 5, the inner or indoor frame member 22 prevents access to the clamping means and also to the interior of the frame i6 to unseat the shock absorbers. The frame member 22 can be removed from themain frame member i8 only by irst removing the connecting screws which are a-ccessible'only from the exterior of the building.

While the invention has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment illustrated, it is to be understood that the right is reserved to all such changes and modifications as fall within the principle of this invention and the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a safety guard, a frame for a guard member comprising indoor and outdoor members secured together and providing a space between their inner edges to accommodate angular deflections of said guard member, said guard mem ber having its edges located within said space, and shock absorbers, each attached at one end to an edge of said guard member within said space and secured at its other endl within said frame, each of said shock absorbers terminating at said other end in a scroll, said frame being provided with seats for said scrolls.

2. In a safety guard, a frame for a guard member comprising indoor and outdoor members secured together andl providing a space between their inner edges to accommodate angular deections of said guard member, said guard member having its edges located within said spa-ce, shock absorbers, each attached at one end to an edge of said guard member within said space and secured at its other end within said frame, each of said shock absorbers being provided at said other end with a scroll and an outwardly extending flange on the end of said scroll, and said frame being provided with seats for said scrolls and said flanges.

3. In a safety guard, a frame for a guard member comprising indoor and outdoor members secured together and providing a space between their inner edges to accommodate angular deections of said guard member, said guard member-having its edges located within said spa-ce, shock absorbers, each attached at one end to an edge of said guard member within said space and secured at its other end withinsaid frame, each of said shock absorbers being provided at said other end with a scroll, an outwardly eX- tending flange on the end 0f Said scroll, said frame being provided with seats for said scrolls Y and ilanges, and said first-mentioned end of said shock absorber being provided with a return bent portion constituting a clamping flange for clamping the shock absorber to the edge of said screen.

4. In a safety guard, a frame for a guard member comprising indoor and outdoor members seshock absorbers, each attached at one end to an edge of'said guard member within said space and secured at its other end within said frame, each of said shock absorbers being provided at said other end with a scroll, an outwardly extending nange on the end of said scroll, said frame being provided with seats for said scrolls and said flanges, and said first-mentioned end of said shock absorber being provided with a return bent portion constituting a clamping ilange for clamping the shock absorber to the edge o1 said screen, said scroll and clamping flange being located on opposite sides of said guard member.

5. A shock absorber for connecting a guard member to a frame, comprising a body having a scroll at one of its ends and a clamping flange for attaching a guard member thereto at its other end.

6. A shock absorber for connecting a guard member to a frame, comprising a body having a scroll of less than 360 at one of its ends, an outwardly extending ange on the free end of said scroll and a clamping flange on the other end of said body for attaching a guard member thereto.

7. A shock absorber for connecting a guard ember to a frame comprising a body having a scroll at one of its ends and a clamping flange for attaching a guard member thereto at its other end, said scroll and clamping flange being located on opposite sides of said body.

8. In a safety guard screen, the combination or a frame having inwardly opening channellike sides and ends, a plurality of wide shockabsorbing springs having nearly cylindrical spring portions mounted in said ends and sides of said frame and inwardly projecting free ends substantially tangential to said cylindrical portions, a screen panel, and means for securing the edges of said panel to the free ends of said shockabsorbing springs. f

.9. In a safety guard screen, the combination of a screen panel, a plurality of spring shock absorbers adapted to be secured to the edge of f said panel, each shock absorber comprising a nearly cylindrical spring portion having a wide free end projecting substantially tangentiallyV REFERENCES CITED The following references are of're'cordintliey file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 860,458 Freeman Feb. 18, 1907 1,025,256l Faber May 7, 1912 1,745,818 Trombly Feb. 14, 1930 2,197,489 Trulock Apr. 16, 1940 2,265,375

Julien etal Dec. 9, 1941 

